funny

By Sebastien Gendry The weekend of March 8, at the American Crossword Puzzle Competition in Brooklyn, a computer program known as Dr. Fill matched wits with the nation’s top crossword solvers and was humbled. Dr. Fill’s score was good enough to finish 141st out of 600 human contestants—near the low end of the range that its creator, the […] Source: AMERICAN SCHOOL OF LAUGHTER YOGA

By Sebastien Gendry The weekend of March 8, at the American Crossword Puzzle Competition in Brooklyn, a computer program known as Dr. Fill matched wits with the nation’s top crossword solvers and was humbled. Dr. Fill’s score was good enough to finish 141st out of 600 human contestants—near the low end of the range that its creator, the […] Source: AMERICAN SCHOOL OF LAUGHTER YOGA

By Sebastien Gendry The weekend of March 8, at the American Crossword Puzzle Competition in Brooklyn, a computer program known as Dr. Fill matched wits with the nation’s top crossword solvers and was humbled. Dr. Fill’s score was good enough to finish 141st out of 600 human contestants—near the low end of the range that its creator, the […] Source: AMERICAN SCHOOL OF LAUGHTER YOGA

By Sebastien Gendry The weekend of March 8, at the American Crossword Puzzle Competition in Brooklyn, a computer program known as Dr. Fill matched wits with the nation’s top crossword solvers and was humbled. Dr. Fill’s score was good enough to finish 141st out of 600 human contestants—near the low end of the range that its creator, the […] Source: AMERICAN SCHOOL OF LAUGHTER YOGA

Laughter can keep the weight off

Giggling for just 15 minutes a day burns enough calories to shed up to 5lbs of fat over a year, work shows.

Laughter burns calories

A big belly laugh uses about the same energy as walking more than half a mile, the US study in the International Journal of Obesity suggests.

Laughing makes the heart beat faster and works many different muscles.

The researchers measured the number of calories expended by 45 adults as they watched different TV programmes, including nature and comedy shows.

“ 15 minutes of laughter over one year may translate into annual weight loss of 4.5lbs ” Lead researcher Dr Maciej Buchowski

Bouts of laughter when watching the funny film used up to 20% more energy than at rest.

This would mean that 10 to15 minutes of laughter a day could increase total energy expenditure by 40 to 170 kJ or burn off between 10 and 40 calories, the researchers estimate.

Lead author Dr Maciej Buchowski, from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, explained: “Participants had 10 to 20 percent higher energy expenditure during episodes of laughter than during rest.

“We have calculated that the energy cost of 15 minutes of laughter over one year may translate into annual weight loss of 4.5lbs.”

Healthy humour

Work already suggests that laughter is good for the heart and immune system, and appears to help ease pain.

Dr Shevach Friedler at the Assaf Harofeh Medical Centre in Zerifin even found humour increased the chance that fertility treatment would be a success in patients seeking IVF.

He said:

“Laughter has a physiological effect as well as a psychological one.

“It is an intuitive human trait. We do not learn it. It’s in our genes.

“If we retain this in our genes then probably it has beneficial effects.”

He said it was likely that more research would uncover many more health benefits linked to laughter.

Laughter can keep the weight off

Did you realise that laughter can heal?

The experience of laughing has been proven to be an extremely potent tool for self healing. If you have watched the DVD “The Secret” then you will have seen a very good example of this. A woman who was diagnosed with breast cancer laughed herself back to health. She watched funny shows and wouldn’t allow any stress into her life. At the end of three months the cancer had totally disappeared!

Why and how did this happen? Is it really possible to laugh your way back from sickness to health?

Well it has been observed by the medical profession that when you laugh, there are certain chemicals released in your body that relax you and allow your body to do what it does best – repair itself!

However, when you allow stress to take over and live your life from a very serious standpoint your body does not release these highly beneficial chemicals, your muscles tense and even natural bodily functions like digestion become harder for your body to regulate. As your body has to try that much harder to regulate your normal functions it takes its toil and aging can occur.

So if you try to see the funny side of things in life (and there always is one) you are actually helping yourself stay healthy and young. Using humour is not just great for your physical health; it can also keep you healthy emotionally and mentally. The best way top stay happy and humorous is to redirect your focus and thus change your perception of things.

If you constantly dwell on feelings of negativity you are not allowing yourself to see the humorous side of life and are robbing your body of much needed chemicals and a state of relaxation.

Here are some hints if you want to take advantage of the positive effects of humour.

1. Do things that you really enjoy and find funny.

2. Watch comedies that make you laugh.

3. Read a magazine or funny book.

4. Repeat the jokes you like to friends and family. Their laughter will have you laughing again.

5. Share funny stories that have happened to you.

7. Seek out the company of people you find funny.

8. Ask friends and family to tell you about their funny experiences.

You should to have a good belly laugh at least once a day. Why not laugh your way to a healthy youthful body?

Laughing has tremendous power. Not only can it make you feel joyous and put others at ease but did you know that it can also heal?